Monday, May 22, 2006

The end of a streak

India's loss on Saturday was interesting to watch. The conventional wisdom that the West Indies had to win this match by bowling out India was confirmed in slightly unexpected fashion: by the bowling out of India with one ball and one run to spare. You would have expected the team doing the bowling out in such a situation to have done so well before things got down to the wire (and the one being bowled out to have suitably co-operated). But it was a different sort of the game from tbe beginning. Both Sehwag and Kaif showed that they are not back in form - yet. And there were some silly shots on display as well - most notably Raina's head-rush towards the end. The Windies always looked in control, and the only reason India ever stayed in the game was because the run-rate never seemed to mount, except right towards the end when it suddenly required Yuvraj to throw his bat - which he did, and was bowled for his troubles. India have let the Windies back into this series, and questions of the series momentum are bound to be raised now. One streak is over - time to concentrate on breaking another one: the one that has India always losing in the Windies.